American Red Cross reaches out for blood donations from teens

Free Vans Warped Tour backstage passes will be given away to anyone donating blood for the American Red Cross on Friday at designated locations in Indiana and Kentucky.

The promotion comes after a new law in Kentucky has taken affect, allowing 16-year-olds to donate blood. Previously, the minimum age was 17.

In addition to the backstage-pass giveaway, the American Red Cross will be hosting music concerts during these specially tailored blood drives for youth. The drives, called the “Music Saves Lives Youth Explosion” will take place in several cities in Indiana and Kentucky this week.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Loni White, the Red Cross communications manager for the River Valley Region. “The Red Cross has never done this before.”
The Warped Tour passes will be good for the festivals in Louisville, Ky., and Noblesville, Ind., on July 30 and 31.

“We are trying to encourage youth to donate blood (this) week,” White said.” Our most reliable donors have gray hair. More youth need to get involved.”

IU senior Marisol Arellano agreed.

“This is a really important cause that needs more attention,” she said. “Younger generations need to realize that people of all ages need blood every day and that they can make a huge difference.”

White hopes that with these special drives, youth will see how easy it is to donate.
This event comes in hand with a new law in Kentucky, HB 139, that will to allow 16-year-olds to donate blood in Kentucky.  According to a press release from the Red Cross, Kentucky is the 24th state “that has enacted a law or granted a variance to allow for 16-year-olds to donate blood.”

Indiana already allows 16-year-olds to donate.

White said the event will help reach many youth who were not able to donate before but were willing.

Joshua Ramirez, a blood services coordinator’s assistant and pre-med student at IU, is glad the law has passed.

“The faster the law gets approved in other states, the better,” he said.

He also thinks the concerts and free tickets are a good promotional tool. Arellano agrees. Both plan to donate blood as often as they can, whether or not they are able to make it to the events this week.

“I have the universal blood type, O negative, which can be given to any other blood type,” said Arellano. “I donate often because I know that I am saving lives and making a difference.”

Music Saves Lives wants to help other youth see that they, too, can make a difference. 

“A needle prick is a small price to pay when you could be saving a life,” said Ramirez.